Most commonly used bottles for young children provide a top cap (not the spout cover to prevent spillage) that allows a child to drink the liquid located in the bottle or vessel (herein collectively referred to as “a bottle”) by creating suction on the cap spout (or nipple in the case of bottles for infants) with their lips and tongue and with the bottle slightly inverted, i.e., with the liquid above the level of the hole of the spout or nipple so that liquid flows by gravity. The shape of the top cap, lid, sportcap or spout, however, can, if not appropriately provided, reinforce abnormal tongue movement, lip development, tooth structure, the action of sucking, etc., which in turn can lead to long term physical issues and possible also result in speech impediments. The present invention provides a new spout, lid or cap (collectively referred to as “spout”) for such bottles, designed specifically for young children, disabled population or person with decreased oral motor ability, which includes an inventive cap that not only minimizes abnormal physiology of the mouth, reduces speech impediments and abnormal oral motor skill but actually affirmatively promotes oral motor development. Additionally, cups cans, bottles (soda, for example) even if used by adults with similar lids and spouts can cause oral or dental problems for a user's jaw, teeth, or lips so that the present invention has applicability thereto.
The present inventive spout, a simple cap element for a bottle of any type, be it baby bottle or water/soda bottle for adults, provides a simple to make, inexpensive mouthpiece for allowing removal of liquid on demand (inverted bottle vis a vis the opening) which, in the preferred embodiment, is preferably substantially rounded to match the shape of a young child's mouth during the early child developmental progression for anatomical formation. Contrarily, an oval-shaped or oblong spout or mouthpiece, like those seen in standard Sippy cups and commercially available spouts/sportcaps for bottles, nipples, spouts, drinking devices for children, can promote improper mouth formation and structure (teeth, gums, lips, etc.) and may thus cause speech issues (impediments and difficulty in communication) as children develop. Traditional spouts and nipple shapes also can lead to abnormal movement of the tongue, which can also lead to speech disorders. A substantially smooth wall, round-shaped spout for the vessel, bottle or cup allows a child, needing to sip liquid there through, to place his or her mouth over the spout without altering the natural shape and structure of the mouth. Use of this new spout will lead to oral motor development in the manner nature allows, will lead to oral motor development and will not impede nor impact on proper physiological development and that of oral motor skills Significantly, the present invention will advance the proper formation and development, physically and motoricly, while still, of course, providing a spout for a bottle for a child or person with oral motor dysfunction to enjoy the necessary act of drinking, whether for quenching thirst or to gain nutrition.
Optimally, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the spout comprises a length of a cylinder (i.e., cylindrical extension above the otherwise mostly flat surface of the cover of the majority of the cavity of the bottle) of approximately ¼ inch to ¾ inch long, and with a diameter of approximately ¼ inch to ½ inch across. These measurements are designed to fit within the circumference and the depth of a young child's developing mouth, without creating abnormal movement patterns or detrimentally affecting the structure and growth/development of the child's lips, gums, jaw, teeth, or tongue. A cylindrical spout which is either longer or wider than the optimal lengths presented by the preferred embodiment of the present invention can cause abnormal tongue movement (if the spout extends too deeply into the mouth of the child) or cause the jaw to open and close in an abnormal movement pattern or otherwise contact growing mouth structures and/or impact on normal growth and development. For example, a spout which uses abroad oblong mouth-contacting spout, which is common in the art, requires a child/user to extend his or her lips around the outer circumference of the spout which is unnatural for the forming anatomical O-like initial shape of one's mouth as a child. As a result, an abnormal movement pattern of the mouth's structures and tongue inhibit the oral motor development necessary for speech production and safe drinking.
Alternatively, a spout which is shorter than that presented by the preferred embodiment of the present invention can cause the lips of the child using the cup to be pressed against the base of the top of the cover/lid. This can lead to the lips of the child (or the fingers depending on the method by which the cup is being held) to block the air vent into the cup and can also impact on both physiological development and/or proper oral motor skills Without a channel or pathway for secondary air flow into the cup, the suction by a child will not release liquid from the cup, which in turn may cause a child to attempt to provide an excess of suction, thus harming his or her tongue, lips and/or cheeks. Again, over time and usage, this can be detrimental to both development of the child's mouth formation and to long-term oral motor skills, communication and development. Accordingly, it is another aspect of the present invention to provide an air vent on the base of the spout on this inventive cover or lid for a bottle proximal to the newly formed and inventive oral motor spout. The pathway or air vent 18, as shown in FIG. 1 is placed within a recessed air channel 20, which preferably runs across the diameter of the entire lid or at least from the opening 19 of the air vent 18 to an edge of the lid. This air channel 20 is preferably recessed within the profile of the lid, but is preferably narrow enough that a finger of the child using the present invention cannot get inside the channel and block the flow of air. This air channel ensures the constant flow of air and thus prevents the scenario discussed above, where a child may accidentally stop the flow of liquid via suction or the blockage of an additional air vent with his or her lips, facial features or fingers, thereby creating excessive suction through the spout and preventing any air from entering the inner compartment of the cup and forcing the liquid up through the spout or blocking the flow of liquid out of the spout. The opening 19 of the air vent 18 is then preferably recessed within the air channel, further ensuring that a child's finger or lip/facial feature cannot fit within the groove of the air channel 20 and within the air vent 18 to block the flow of air into the inner compartment of the cup.
In one embodiment, still referring to FIG. 1, the air channel 20 is preferably recessed across the diameter of the lid which maximizes the space 21, adjacent the opening 19 of the air vent 18, for the air flow into the air vent 18. By running across the diameter of the lid, the space 21, which is recessed below the top planar surface 30, in which air can flow to the air vent opening 19 is maximized. The air vent is then preferably further recessed within the air channel, preferably in the center of the air channel. It is envisioned in other embodiments that the air channel can exist in other shapes and locations on the top of the base of the lid, while still being recessed within the horizontal planar profile of the base, and with the air vent further recessed therein. Utilizing this design, with the recessed air channel and further recessed air vent, the present invention prevents or reduces blockage of air flow irrespective the location of the air channel and air vent on the lid.
The present invention or spout and integrated cap for a bottle is preferably provided with screw threads which mate onto the screw threads of a bottle, can, vessel, or container having a liquid-holding cavity within its base for holding liquid and facilitating drinking when slightly or fully inverted. The cap comprises a set of internal screw threads beneath its planar surface which mate with a corresponding set of threads (in shape, size, pitch, etc. of external screw threads on the cavity portion of the bottle, i.e., on the container's base. This allows the cap with integrated spout to be turned or screwed on with respect to the base or cavity of the bottle and attached thereto by interconnection of the screw threads. This preferable construction tends to prevent leakage of any liquid from the cap, as the screw thread combination creates a tight seal around the circumference of the bottle so that substantially no liquid contained therein will spill out of the sides of the bottle (over the side wall) even when the bottle with cap is twisted, turned, or shaken by a child.
As mentioned, in other embodiments of the present invention, the present inventive lid and integrated spout for a child's bottle can be utilized with other liquid containers for users of all ages, while still providing the same structural optimizations, benefits, etc., for human development and oral motor skills.